Only 1% of the world's water can be used for human consumption. Half of the global population will be living in areas of "acute water shortage" by 2030. In India, where water shortages are already being felt, there were over 50 reported acts of violence over water during the month of May alone. And while experts estimate 2.5 gallons per person per day is a sustainable amount to use, the average American consumes 100 gallons per day. And that's just household use, not counting the amount used for agriculture and manufacturing of the goods we consume.
Peak water: Yep, we're approaching it. But could peak water really be the new peak oil? Could water barons be the new oil barons? And just how much of it have we got left? As water supplies dwindle and drought increases worldwide, some technologies are emerging that supply hope for a stable future, and major players in the water game are also beginning to take shape. Below, we take a look at the most pressing fresh water issues--from what's in your tap to how withering aquifers will affect the global economy and climate change.
Amazon River Water Being Stolen and Bottled Abroad
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil 
on 02. 8.10
Photo via UC Berkeley
A recently published report is exposing some shocking exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources--and this times it's water being stolen. Where is this water headed? According to the report, "tankers are quietly removing water" to be bottled and sold in Europe and the Middle East. This is coming at a time when regions of the northern Amazon region have been experiencing a devastating drought that threatens the livelihoods of its people. This burgeoning crime is known as hydro-piracy, and it could foreshadow a future of resource wars as clean water supplies become scarce.
Could Minnesota Start a Take-Back Trend for Pills?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02. 4.10
Photo via erix!
I will never forget years ago having to go through my grandmother's medicine cabinet and emptying bottle after bottle after bottle of various medications. We had piles of them that we were told by hospice couldn't be donated or returned, or even put into the trash. We were told to just flush them. My mom and I spent the better part of an hour dumping them all down the sink. This was well before I was so engaged in being green, and neither of us knew better. We had no idea about what putting pharmaceuticals down the drain does to ecosystems. My stomach turns just thinking about it now. Yet this is an all-too-common scene. Could a new law proposed by Minnesota for a take-back program for pills be the beginning of ensuring this doesn't happen, and pharmaceuticals stay out of our water systems?
IBM Shows Off Cool Technologies for Water Mangagement (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02. 3.10
Screenshot via IBM video
IBM has been working hard on improving technologies that help with water quality and management. The company feels that managing water is equally - if not more- important as managing electricity, and technology can be a big part of the solution. IBM has just released a new, fun video that highlights problems surrounding water, and what new tech IBM feels can greatly improve how we monitor, measure, use and conserve water.
Los Angeles May Get Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Law
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02. 3.10
Photo via gilintx
A new proposed law to go into effect in 2011 could have Los Angeles residents changing their habits when it comes to rainfall. Rather than just complaining that there's some strange wet substance falling from the sky, all new homes, large developments, and some redevelopment projects will start to appreciate those few rainy days by harvesting and redirecting rainfall. The Department of Public Works has unanimously approved the new ordinance that will require the use of several different methods to capture, reuse or redirect runoff from 3/4 inch or heavier rainstorms. Does this mean LA is becoming water wise?
Light-Activated Water Disinfector Works Even In the Dark; Is Cheaper, Greener Solution?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01.28.10
Photo via mckaysavage
Sounds a little contradictory, but research coming from Jian-Ku Shang, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and his team have come up with a photocatalyst that disinfects water with sunlight or artificial light, and will keep on disinfecting even after the lights go out. It promises to be an effective solution for unsafe water in developing countries - or anywhere.
It's raining, It's pouring in California...but the drought isn't over yet
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 01.25.10
San Lorenzo River after the Storm photo via spicycarrots.com
It is no secret to residents that California has been hit with storms and nearly consistent rain all week. These gray and wet skies can be attributed to the weather phenomena known as El Niño. After a fairly dry Fall, El Niño was seen in full force this week. The storms delivered rain in the Bay area and snow in the Sierras. But if you're thinking an El Niño winter will end California's three-year drought, not so fast.
Seagrass Comeback: a Race Against Time and Boat Propellers
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 01.24.10
Trench in seagrass, damaged from boat propellers. Photo courtesy of Seagrass Recovery
One of the dangers to ocean coastlines is due to loss of seagrass meadows. This results in a loss of fish and marine life habitat, a decrease in food supply and eliminates some of the ocean's carbon storage, among other problems that lead to global warming. Polluted water kills seagrass and loss of seagrass leads to lousy water quality. Then there's the trenches ripped by grounded boats and propellers in a patchwork of scars. How can we stop the destruction of this key and fragile ecosytem?
Twins' New Stadium to Cut Water Use in Half
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 01.22.10
The new Target Field in Minneapolis. Photo via GreenMark.
When the year's first calls of "Play ball!" are heard in baseball stadiums around the United States, the Minnesota Twins will be fielding their team on a field that's greener than ever. Among other eco-friendly features, the team's new Target Field will collect, filter, and reuse rainwater, reducing its municipal water footprint by 2 million gallons a year.
Design Twist Turns Bus Shelters Into Rain Water Harvesting System
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01.20.10
Image via Ramesh Kanth
In San Francisco, the rain has been coming down hard the last few days, and it's not letting up for a few more. Which means our new solar powered bus stations aren't exactly doing much good. As most of the water coming down right now runs right down the paved hills and into the salty bay, never making it back to our groundwater table, it's too bad we don't have a few of these bus shelters designed by Ramesh Kanth. They're made to harvest rainwater.
From the Forums: Is Sigg the Better Bottle?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 01.19.10
Image Credit: Mi Gi via Flickr
tammyhennig could use some advice:
I would like to find a better bottle for me to carry while I do the workout...Sigg bottles seem to be a very good product for me...I was concerned about the aluminum part but according to the company, it is safe to use. Same with the lining inside the bottle since it is water-based and non-toxic polymer. Is there any of you that use Sigg bottle?
What kind of water bottle do you prefer? Post here.
And here's some help choosing a health-friendly bottle.
Rainbows: Nature's Ephemeral Illusions (Slideshow)
by David DeFranza on 01.11.10
Image credit: Nicholas_T/Flickr
If you follow a rainbow to its end, the story goes, you will be rewarded with a leprechaun's hidden pot of gold. Though a more natural path could not be imagined, following such a multicolored-arc to its source may prove to be impossible.
With climate change already increasing and decreasing precipitation around the world, rainbows may be much more common in some places and far rarer in others.
Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, and Alexandra Cousteau Climbing Kilimanjaro - Day 5
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 01.11.10
Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Isabel Lucas, Alexandra Cousteau, and Summit on the Summit crew in Tanzania. Credit: courtesy photo
Environmental activists and celebrities have embarked on a week long trek up Mount Kilimajnaro (13,640 ft) in Tanzania to raise global awareness of the clean water crisis. Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, explorer, and activist--whom you may recognize from Planet Green's Blue August or TreeHuggerTV----is joined by actors Emile Hirsch, Jessica Biel, Isabel Lucas; singers Kenna--the mastermind behind the climb--and Lupe Fiasco, and others are climbing high for a Summit on the Summit:
Jessica Biel and Friends Aim High, Bob Barker Saves the Whales, and More
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 01. 8.10
Photo via Maggiejumps @flickr
The celebrity-packed Summit to the Summit left basecamp yesterday, with Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Alexandra Cousteau, Isabel Lucas, Lupe Fiasco, and other climbers making the 19,340-foot trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro to battle the world's water crisis through partnerships with the Children's Safe Drinking Water Program, UNHCR, and Water for People.
Top Stories from Tonic: Survivor Zohn, Sea Lion Search, Summit on the Summit and More!
by Tonic, the "good news" site on 01. 7.10
Photo by Delphine Bruyere, via Wikimedia Commons
What happens when Jessica Beil, Santigold, Emile Hirsch and Lupe Fiasco decide to take a hike? They take it al the way to the top. Mark Dagastino has the full story on the stars' Kilimanjaro climb, "Summit on the Summit," a massive effort to help raise awareness about the world's water crisis.
Say goodbye to a shocking law most of us never even knew existed. "Obama Lifts Ban on Travelers with HIV and AIDS." Annie Scott will tell you all about it.
A survivor man times over: "Ethan Zohn Gives Back While Fighting Cancer." Mark Dagastino has the interview and the inside scoop.
David Bois pulls at your heartstrings a bit in "As Volcano Fires Up, UN Troops Keep Tabs on Wild Chimps."
In "SF Sea Lion Disappearance Mystery (Mostly) Solved," David Bois tracks down Pier 39's most beloved visitors.
Like models? Makeup? Agua? Katie Gustafson shows you how they all fit together in a more-than-skin-deep (sorry, couldn't help myself) way. Check out "CoverGirl Taps into Clean Water Activism."
How many of you became proud new puppy parents after reading "Chihuahuas Fly for Free on Virgin America," we wonder? Lisa Germinsky's story will have you running for the pound. Or the airport ...
Solar Technology Takes the Salt Out of Ponds on the Cheap
by David DeFranza on 01. 6.10
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Around the world, closed-basin lakes, like the Great Salt Lake, the Alton Sea, and the Aral Sea, are losing water as a result of human and natural processes. With no outflow and high salt and mineral saturation, these lakes, through drought and evaporation, are being transformed into highly saline pools and some, like Walker Lake in Nevada, have become toxic to aquatic life.
A new system, developed by a doctoral candidate at the University of Nevada in Reno, uses solar-heated ponds and an innovative membrane technology to rescue these lakes with low-temperature desalination.
